MARCH 3, 2002

The liquidator speaks (Part II)

Cosme Rogeau, the liquidator of Prost Grand Prix, seems to be a man under pressure at the moment and on Saturday afternoon he issued a second press release to try to explain the deal he has struck with Phoenix Finance Ltd.

COSME ROGEAU, the liquidator of Prost Grand Prix, seems to be a man under pressure at the moment and on Saturday afternoon he issued a second press release to try to explain the deal he has struck with Phoenix Finance Ltd., a company represented (but not necessarily owned) by Tom Walkinshaw's old friend Charles Nickerson, pointing out that the sale that has been agreed does not include the Prost Grand Prix team.

Nickerson and Rogeau added that the team will be a completely new one - which presumably means that Nickerson and whoever may be behind him will have to stump up $48m in deposit for the FIA, assuming that the FIA accepts the entry - which does not seem very likely at this late stage.

There are presumably legal reasons why Rogeau and Phoenix need to point out that Prost has not been bought - but if this is the case, it is hard to see how the new team can possibly appear.

The Phoenix may have to return to the ashes.